Global Hotspots

Trump Has Just Raised the Stakes With Moscow and Tehran in Three Risky Moves

By Patrick Smith

President Trump made three big moves on Syria and Iran this week. They crisscross and contradict one another, but the administration’s game plan in the Middle East just got a lot clearer.
Here’s the Enormous Economic Leverage China Has Over North Korea

By Greg Wright, The Conversation

North Korea got the world’s attention – and President Donald Trump’s – when it said on July 4 that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. The weapon,...
Trump’s Fly-by-Night Mideast ‘Policy’ Embraces the Saudi’s New Crown Prince

By Patrick Smith

It’s not likely that President Trump knew what he was getting into when he embraced the Saudis as the rightful leaders of the Islamic world and the war on terror during his visit to Riyadh last month...
Russia’s Top Troll Strikes Again: Putin Offers Comey Political Asylum

By Rob Garver

While much of the world looks at the turmoil in Washington, DC with apprehension and dread, at least somebody watching the expanding investigation of President Trump and his associates is enjoying...
Here’s How the US Could Cripple North Korea’s Economy

By Rob Garver

Punishing North Korea economically for its misdeeds may be simpler than many believe, according to a new report from a Washington non-profit.

Time for Trump to Face It: From Now on, Every Week Is ‘Russia Week’

By Rob Garver

The Trump administration’s efforts to keep Russian interference in last year’s election out of the headlines are being overwhelmed by events, as another week ostensibly dedicated to a different issue...
Putin’s Just Trolling the World Now on Trump and the US Election

By Rob Garver

Russian President Vladimir Putin conceded for the first time that perhaps computer hackers from his country actually had worked to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Here’s One Credible Reason to Doubt the Russia-Kushner Story

By Rob Garver

Following the Washington Post report on Friday that top White House adviser Jared Kushner had approached the Russian ambassador to the US about opening a secret line of communications between Moscow...
How Trump Really Could Make a Difference in the Middle East

By Liz Peek

Two presidents, two trips to the Middle East in their first year in office. That is where the similarities end. I was in Cairo for President Obama’s much-celebrated speech in 2009 as a guest of...
Trump the Diplomat? Will He Charm or Harm US Relations?

By Patrick Smith

Whoever put together President Trump’s first foreign tour has a good grasp of the grand gesture. When he departs Friday, his main stops are Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican, making Trump the...

Gen. Petraeus: The Post-War Order Is in Danger of Collapse

By Pamela Engel, Business Insider

Retired Gen. David Petraeus told Congress on Wednesday that the US shouldn't take the existing international order for granted. The former CIA director told the House Armed Services Committee that...
After Three Years of Extreme Vetting, I Nearly Gave Up on My American Dream

By Riyadh Mohammed

I am an Iraqi Muslim who is about to become an American citizen. In July 2011, I boarded a flight to New York City, seated next to an old Iraqi couple. When we landed at JFK, the scene was quite...
Trump’s Blunders on NATO and Russia Make Our European Allies Cringe

By Patrick Smith

If you thought Donald Trump’s foreign policy positions were politically calculated toss-offs, think again. The interview he gave The Times of London last week put the world on notice: The views Trump...
Germany, You’re Fired! How Trump Is Bringing Reality TV to US Foreign Policy

By Rob Garver

It may cause a little alarm in the foreign policy community that President-elect Donald Trump appears to be organizing his approach to the United States’ relations with other countries in a frame...
While Trump Makes Nice, His ‘Bad Cop’ Cabinet Will Deal With Putin

By Liz Peek

Not since Rosa Klebb attacked James Bond with exotic darts in her boots have Americans been so obsessed with evil Russians. Hillary Clinton fans blame Vladimir Putin for her defeat; President Obama...

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